Morris, Marshall & Poole was prosecuted by Powys County Council's Environmental Health Service for breaches of Health and Safety legislation.

Wrexham Magistrates' Court fined all ten partners in the company a total of £21,000 on Thursday. Each partner was also ordered to pay £455 in court costs.

The court heard that a routine inspection of the firm's Newtown premises by a health and safety enforcement officer discovered damaged asbestos cladding around heating pipes in a cellar. Workers at the firm frequently used the cellar to store and retrieve files and equipment.

Managers were aware of the hazardous material but had not done anything to protect employees and others from exposure, the court heard.

All ten partners in the company entered guilty pleas to the two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Guilty pleas were also entered for two further offences brought under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, following the company's failure to carry out health and safety risk assessments.